


Safe and Sound

by CassieRaven



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Motherhood, No Sailor Senshi, Original Character(s), Out of Character, POV Tsukino Usagi, Teen Pregnancy, Usagi/Mamoru Shipping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2019-12-29 02:06:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18298076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CassieRaven/pseuds/CassieRaven
Summary: Usagi's fifteen and pregnant, though her family and close friends are supportive, her life has officially changed when she's forced to stop attending Juuban Junior High, and do Independent Study/Home School, along with her reputation as a 'good girl' burned to shreds due to going to be a teen mom. Will there be hope and love for her when a certain baka tutors his way into her heart and the future life of her child?





	1. Prologue: Not Like Other Girls

**Author's Note:**

> This is a reposting of my story over from FanFiction.Net (like I have been reposting of my other stories from my author page with the same pen name/author name from over there.)
> 
> Now this story, my god...I've been dying to get a move on with writing this one. This is a story of a long time planned/plotted and currently wip story, that you don't know how excited I have been alongside my Beta-Reader QueenRisa who once I had shared my ideas for this story, she became shocked, delighted, extremely excited about it. Then had demanded me to tell her more, and started assisting me in highly encouraging me and fueling the fires of, "You've got to write this story, it's original, the idea is good, it's never been done like this before, and you have got to let me Beta-Read this story's chapters because I am so in. Please take the time when you can to plan it all out, write it, and let me know when you are ready to take on creating this story!"
> 
> And here we are! Major kudos of thanks goes out to both Queen Risa my supportive Beta-Reader and to fellow writer AngelMoonGirl who both assisted me in sending me wonderful writing advice, cheerful-positive encouragement to go through with this story, etc. Thanks, ladies. Now, this story is completely Alternate Universe (AU). No Sailor Senshi, No Tuxedo Kamen in the exact usual sense, they never become their heroines/hero selves, no villains or baddies to deal with in that sense. I'll be naturally addressing all characters by their Japanese original names. As suggested by the story's short summary, this story clearly will be about pregnancy; specifically, teen pregnancy which is still considered taboo in some countries, even still here in the united states concerning how sometimes it's glamorized in some incidents like MTV's 'Teen Mom' series, but the negative stigma that's still attached to any teenage girl who becomes a mother while they are still a teenager themselves. A lot of things had inspired this story, mostly the entire stigma that's still thrown upon teenage girls worldwide, and here in some countries like America that despite MTV's Teen Mom trying to popularize on Teen Pregnancy, that there's still the social stigma in society negatively towards teenagers who become the so-called, "Moms Before Proms or Graduation". Having known some friends back when I was a teenager who became young mothers themselves, it was eye-opening for me then as it still is now how girls and some young women are treated concerning that "taboo stigma". 
> 
> Why not write a story where the realities of both the good and bad a young mother go through, what it could be like for one of them, through the eyes of a character we all know and love in this beloved series. We all know one day Usagi becomes a mother in the future of Crystal Tokyo...but what if things were different, in an alternate world, what if...her and motherhood happened differently as it does for other girls? If there is or are any readers reading this and aren't comfortable with this story dealing with the concept or idea of handling mature themes discussing Teen Pregnancy in this AU story, then please don't read anymore. If my story makes you feel uncomfortable, please leave now. If not, then please continuing scrolling down, and enjoy reading this beginning to this new story.

* * *

**_"Say what you want about these girls, but it must be rough being a teen mom."_ **

Unknown Quote Author

* * *

**Prologue:** Not Like Other Girls

* * *

 

"Alright now, that should be everything that your mother had called in this morning," the man explained, placing a few more items into the grocery bags while scanning the list in his hand.

"Organic fresh vegetables, fruits, a small sack of jasmine rice, a half pound of Kobe ground beef, one carton of cream milk, one carton of organic milk, and one carton each of brown and white organic eggs." The grocery store owner looked from the brown paper bags, that was filled to the brim with items, to the girl behind the counter.

 

"Is that correct?" The young girl smiled brightly, bobbing her head in confirmation.

"Hai, I think that's everything on my Mama's list, Mr. Hiroshima."

 

"Great! That will come to being 4,452 ¥ then." Money prepared, she deposited the currency into his outstretched hand. He handed back her change in a variety of coins and yen, pushing the bags to her across the counter.

 

"Also, how's your family doing sir? Is Mrs. Hiroshima still getting over her cold," the teenage girl asked him politely as she scooped up the bags.

 

"She's feeling much better, thank you for asking Usagi," Mr. Hiroshima smiled brightly at her.

 

"You have a good rest of the day and tell your parents I said hello."

 

"I will tell them you said hi! Have a good day yourself!" Usagi grinned, nodding a goodbye, while adjusting the bulky bags in her hands, moving to grip them by the paper handles.

 

"Bye Mr. Hiroshima!" The bright blonde bounced out of the shop, the overhead bell dinging as the door opened and shut in her departure.

Walking down her neighborhood street, it didn't take long for Usagi to already detect the numerous stares a few people, that were out and about in the neighborhood, were sending in her direction. They seemed to find it a little odd, 'very' odd, that a seventeen-year-old girl like herself, wasn't currently in school, much less not even in uniform for any of the surrounding schools, knowing that most girls her age were already in school since seven in the morning. It was especially since it was a Friday. Shouldn't she be in school?

 

Usagi then started to take notice that as she continued to stroll down the sidewalk, a few women, who were walking up ahead of her, were casting glances as they whispered loudly, clearly intending for her to hear their hot gossip. As one of them glared at her, with disgust and judgment clear in her tight eyes, immediately, the blonde knew exactly what, or rather who, they were gossiping about.

 

Her.

 

Usagi kept on walking, head held up high to the sky, looking straight ahead as she passed the two women. She recognized them, both mothers of girls that lived a few houses away from hers and having even attended Juuban Middle School with their respective daughters.

 

"What kind of school girl isn't in school or in their school uniform," one asked in the nosy tone that most gossiping mothers use.

 

"Is she skipping school, playing hooky? Why does she look so familiar Helene?"

 

"Wouldn't surprise me if she ever did, she always ran out of her front door ready for school all of her and my Hiko's seventh-grade year," the other (Helene) explained, snotty.

 

"Keiko, that's the Tsukino's daughter. You remember, the daughter that a couple of years ago...dare I say it, 'shamed' them by getting, you know what?"

 

"Oh! That's her?! That's their daughter...I still can't believe that Kenji didn't throw her out of the house or much less onto the street years ago, being such a poor student when she had been in school."

 

_'You're fine. Don't listen, please get further.'_ Reaching an intersection, the blonde's face fell as more and more traffic whooshed by, forcing her to stay still and endure the rest of the conversation behind her.

 

"Look at her, acting like she hasn't brought any shame to her parents by what she did. So much disgrace."

 

"If she was my daughter, my husband and I would have shipped her off to live with relatives outside of Tokyo. Or off to boarding school and considered better options to the 'problem'. Ikuko and Kenji had to be out of their minds to have allowed her and that 'problem' of hers to stay living with them."

 

_'You are fine, happy. Just ignore them.'_ Knuckles turned chalk white as hands clutched the bag handles fiercely.

 

"It isn't surprising, my husband says that Kenji always cowers and gives in to Ikuko when she wants things her way. A real man wouldn't let his wife and daughter dictate his castle when he's the core of the household and bread maker."

 

"Hmmpft. With all that girl has put them through, taking her out of school was actually one of their good choices. Wouldn't influence our girls, so good riddance."

 

"I wouldn't allow my daughter to associate with her back then, even before. The girl was friends with that one Kino girl, the troublemaker, and that strange priestess from the Hikawa Shrine."

 

"I agree, bad influences all around. I pity her parents, only daughter that shames the family name, no education, Kenji has more mouths to feed with his journalist salary, it's so sad."

 

"Plus, being a high school dropout? Kenji and Ikuko will never find a boy, much less a man, interested in their daughter. What man would want a girl like her?"

 

"They could never show their faces around Juuban with that girl and her baggage! A disgrace and embarrassment!"

 

Finally, the traffic slowed and Usagi darted across the street, creating more distance between her and the loud women, who she could hear snicker as she ran through.

 

"Nosy gossiping vultures...shrews," she whispered to herself. "Sticks and stones, Mama always says sticks and stones. Some people who are rude or cruel have nothing better to do than gossip about others that they don't know anything about. They don't know anything about me or my family, sticks, and stones." She did all she could to hold it together, to not break down and cry in a ball on the ground.

 

Even at seventeen, years later, she was still aware that some people, especially the judgmental, nosy neighborhood housewives and spades of her classmates on the block, still loved to gossip about her. Commenting on how she had 'ashamed', 'embarrassed', 'soiled her family's good name,' because of what had happened three years ago. She knew damn well that she wasn't like any of the other teenage girls in Juuban, she knew that very well. Most seventeen-year-old girls her age went to school, hung out in the local arcades and cafes, attended parties, worried over tests and homework, crushed on boys and dated boys their own age. Usagi didn't even go to traditional school anymore, enduring homeschooling with tutors sent from the Juuban district. She didn't care to visit the arcades or cafes, not even the Crown by herself, not as she had used to nearly every day after school. She only came if her friends or little brother were at her side, it was then, and only then that she could relax and enjoy herself. Partying never meant anything to her so it wasn't much of a sacrifice at the end.

 

Looking at the pig-tailed blonde, she appeared to be like any other girl her age, dressed in a pink pastel t-shirt decorated with white bunnies, a three-layered short jean skirt, pink stockings, and a comfortable pair of (naturally) pink sneakers. She looked average, some girl who would buy mangas with her allowance then buy milkshakes to slurp on while reading the said bought mangas. Her appearance was like any other girl.

 

_'But I'm not normal anymore, not like I used to be'_ , Usagi thought to herself as she reached the front door of her home, fishing out the house keys from her skirt pocket.

 

Balancing the bags in one hand, she stuck the key into the keyhole but nearly fell forward in surprise as the closed door was suddenly whipped open to reveal her frazzled but elegantly dressed mother.

 

"Mama-"

 

"Hi, sweetie! Thank you for getting the groceries," Ikuko interjected as she helplessly attempted to roll up her sleeve while cradling a squirming little human in her one hand.

 

"Can you take them to the kitchen? I need to get going to Shingo's middle school parent-teacher conferences." She quickly ushered her inside of the house, eyes shining and face fresh and painted but the tiredness was still prominent in her features despite.

 

Dressed to the nines in her best clothes, the purple-haired woman strode into the kitchen with Usagi following close behind, setting down the bags swiftly onto the counter.

 

Immediately, with her hands-free, the blonde rushed to take the little child, who was close to tears, from her mother's arms.

 

"How was she? She didn't get upset that I was gone right? The early morning interview went on longer than I thought," Usagi explained, the little girl, whose eyes locked onto hers, promptly started to grab fist fulls of Usagi's shirt, wailing outcries of "N-no go! No, go!", while big fat tears glistened in her little eyes.

 

"She was alright at first when she was eating breakfast, but then she noticed that you weren't in your usual seat next to her high chair and she just lost it," Ikuko supplied, clipping in an earring with steady fingers as Usagi consoled the toddler.

 

"She got worse after she noticed that you weren't in the living room either, she searched all over the house on her little feet, having a fit." Ikuko smiled as watched the small girl curl and nuzzle into Usagi's neck, hugging her tightly. "She loves her Mommy."

 

The blonde smiled weakly, patting the small trembling back.

"Hey there, were you giving your grandma a hard time? And all because I wasn't here for breakfast," Usagi half scolded, hearing a muffled reply that was slurred with sobs.

 

She sighed, feeling the child's hands wrap around her even more tightly. "I'm sorry little moonbeam, I had to go out for a little while. But I'm here now, so no more tears. Promise?"

 

Dark hair shook in agreement against her neck. "Okay then, Grandma has to go to Uncle Shingo's school so we have to say bye-bye, okay?" Usagi cooed to her, as the tears seemed to finally cease and everything was calm once more as her daughter recoiled and showed her face to the world again. 

 

"Looks like you got her and everything under control. I should be back in a few hours after the meeting. I have to pick up some lunch and head to the dry cleaners." Ikuko rushed to the front door, her two girls following. "There's some sandwiches, potato and fruit salad in the fridge. Also, some of those baby toddler snacks mix packs that she likes so much, those are in the pantry. Have fun!" Giving them both kisses on their cheeks before grabbing her coat, car keys, and purse, the mother of two flew through the door.

 

"Bye, Mama! Say bye bye to Grandma honey!" Usagi grinned as the little tot in her arms waved her small pudgy hand and hollered out a "Bye bye!" as the car door slammed and locked.

 

The car rushed out of the driveway, Ikuko waving to the two at the open door, and then sped off. With the car out of sight, Usagi adjusted the hold on her child and shut the door, moving to make camp in the living room.

 

With practiced movements, she carefully placed the toddler on the large crocheted, blue-green baby blanket that laid on the wooden floor. The two-year-old gazed up at her teenage mother, the mop of soft unruly black hair pulled into two short pigtails framing her small face. Usagi squat down and fixed the yellow t-shirt that was adorned with a rainbow and a white bunny under it. Along with some green jeans and a pair of yellow and white bunny pattern socks on her feet, her little girl was already becoming a little fashionista Usagi thought fondly.

 

Identical pairs of cerulean blue eyes clashed together and two noses scrunched up like a bunny's as mother and daughter laughed and smiled at their antics. Usagi felt her devious smile creep up and in a flash, with her daughter distracted, her hand shot out and attacked the child's little tummy, tickling her as she gently fell back onto the blanket, giggling in laughter.

 

"Mommy stop, it twickles!"

 

"It tickles huh?"

 

"Yes!," the toddler screeched, smiling as slowly, her mother halted the attack. Her eyes sparkled with love but fear also laced in her orbs.

 

"Momma, no more go now," she cooed. Usagi grinned even further, pulling the girl into her lap and watched as she laid her head on her chest, curling up in the embrace.

 

"No, Mommy isn't going anywhere. I'm staying right here with you," the young mother whispered softly, petting the small tufts of dark hair, a harsh contrast to the blonde hairs of hers.

 

"You are the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. You changed my life and I will never think of you as a mistake. Not ever. Your my little blessing, my little girl and no matter what anyone else may say, I love you so, so much." 

 

"Wuv you too Momma."

 

Tears pricked the corners of the teen's eyes as the quiet words vibrated through her chest and into her heart.

 

"Great, why don't we watch some cartoons before we play with Mr. Bunny. Then we'll have lunch and take a nap. But after I put the groceries away, okay?"

 

"Okay, Momma!" Happily, the girl nuzzled in further. "Wuv you."

 

Heart full and her day brightened to great lengths, the blonde mother kissed the top of her daughter's head, feeling her small heartbeat as she embraced her in one of the tightest hugs.

 

"I love you too Owen. Your mommy will always love you, my little Moonbeam."

 

* * *

 

 

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter One: After School Visit, Toddler Attack, and Dinner with the Family!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usagi and little Owen get a couple of visitors before the rest of the Tsukino family come home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I hope everyone's been having a good week so far in this ending September month. Here is chapter one as I had promised. This one took a little bit of time to write naturally, alongside the ongoing pregnancy research with things concerning teen pregnancy that sometimes has to be done. (Sometimes researching for writing is important naturally, especially when in my case, I'm not yet a mother in my life and have never been pregnant despite knowing loved ones who have been.)
> 
> I truly and sincerely apologize for the long wait for this chapter. Seriously, I am extremely sorry if there were any readers upset with how long they had to wait so patiently for this chapter update but real life had taken over my life. Now that I'm in the final Fall Semester of my last round of college class/classes (plus graduating officially by the end of this term + walking in graduation commencement ceremonies in later Spring 2020 next early June!) I'll be working on this story and other stories chapters to update whenever I possibly can in both this Sailor Moon Fandom and other stories I am writing in the Hannibal T.V. Series Fandom.
> 
> I hope no one minded having to be extremely being patient for this to be written, Beta-Read with some patients naturally. Sorry if waiting was driving you crazy. Forgive me! (And please forgive my Beta-Readers!)  
> I would like to thank everyone who's personally taken the time to read/review this story's Prologue chapter. Reviewing is so important to me and so many other fanfiction writers/authors out there. It keeps us going, fueling us to want to continue to write.  
> Plus, we love hearing positive feedback from you all as our readers or fans of our stories. So I strongly encourage some of you readers to do more than just following my stories or putting them on author/story alerts. Please take the time whenever you can to leave a review, because I honestly love receiving feedback from you guys, even if it's a simple sentence saying you like the story or full-blown paragraph of feedback or fan squeaking.
> 
> I also appreciate and would like to thank my beloved Beta-Readers: Queen Risa, Pia Bartolini, and Penseeart. These Betas with their continued moral support as motivational "cheerleaders" when they knew I needed it meant so much to me. Always encouraging me to keep writing, re-writing, re-thinking and suggesting such helpful advice when I needed it has meant so much to me over the time they've assisted me in positive feedback as Beta-Readers.  
> Teamwork I tell you, teamwork when fan fiction authors have their Betas!!! Thank you three for all you've done and continue to do as my friend in moonie support, not such as my Beta-Readers and fellow Authors. Arigato!!!
> 
> Here is the new chapter, Chapter One everyone. Enjoy reading!

 

* * *

**Chapter One:** After School Visit, Toddler Attack, and Dinner with the Family!

* * *

 

  
"Here are some of Grandma's ham and cheese sandwiches with sweet mayo, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Nice and cut up, none of that pesky crust," Usagi announced cheerfully as she placed the bite-sized pieces onto the tray of Owen's high chair.

 

The little girl's eyes lit up as she clapped her little hands with joy. The remains of leftover potato salad and fruit that were scattered messily on the highchair tray were soon forgotten as the toddler grabbed sandwich pieces in both chubby fists. Taking a plate of the salads and two sandwiches from the counter for herself, Usagi sat down in the chair at the table next to her daughter. She watched as Owen stuffed her face with food, before washing it down with gulps of apple juice from her dinosaur sippy cup.

 

"Guess you like that. Owen! Steady there, you're drinking too fast. Let me take that before you choke on your juice. There we go. Take it easy, maybe you're too much like me with how fast you wolf down your food and drinks... let's work on finishing your last pieces of lunch before you drink anymore." Usagi sighed feeling like the two-year-old was 'that' close to almost choking holding the sippy cup away from Owen, as she paid no mind to the loss of her cup, too occupied with going back to eating the sandwich pieces.

 

'She's okay, she didn't choke or accidentally spit up. You've got this Usagi.' she silently tried assuring herself in a thought, as she watched her daughter finish her food just as Usagi's cell phone started to ring a twinkling tune.

 

Looking at the caller I.D., her eyes lit up in surprise. 'Why is she calling me now? Shouldn't she be finishing lunch? Oh, Mina-chan...' Usagi sighed as she answered, moving it to her ear.

 

"Moshi, Moshi," Usagi said, silently awaiting the familiar scream, in three...two... "MOSHI USAGI-CHAN!!!!!!! What's up?! You home? Or are you and the kiddos out? Hold on, got to move somewhere hidden from sight by this tree we're sitting at for lunch. I'm good. So whatcha doing?" a high-pitched girl's voice hollered into the phone, making Usagi wince.

 

"Ouch! Not so loud Minako-Chan! I want to keep my hearing!"

 

"Oops! Gomen! So what are you up too? Makoto just mentioned how boring it is without you here with us during lunch periods anymore, and I figured, it'd b-Ami! Stop giving me that look of disapproval. What? Hold on Usagi. Ami! It's just one little call, I'll be off right quick, you and Makoto just keep looking out for me in case a yard teacher comes by patrolling." Minako's voice chattered away to muffled voices Usagi couldn't make out.

 

"Calling me during lunch period? You know one of these days, they'll catch you and confiscate your cell phone and your iPod you keep smuggling into school, Minako." Usagi sighed, trying to keep an eye on Owen as she ate.

 

"Doubt they will, haven't been caught yet. Oh and Ami says hi. I called you to ask if you were down for us all meeting up at Rei's to have a study group either today or tomorrow? Ami said it'd technically be a study session but also a catch-up day with you and your mini-me. With lots of yummy snacks." Minako sounded like she was eating something.

 

"Um, I'm not sure if it's a great time for a study session today. I'm here at home with Owen. Mama's gone and I can't call her right now since she's at Shingo's school for a meeting. Besides, I don't feel comfortable taking Owen over to the temple. It's Friday and we're usually home, so I really don't want to ruin her usual routine." Usagi answered calmly, hoping her blonde partner in crime would understand.

 

"Okay, okay. I know, she has a schedule, blah, blah...man, having a kid clearly ruins all the-ow! Makoto! Okay! I'm sorry, just kidding Usagi. We can-huh wait, hold on for a second. Okay, Ami says that she thinks moving our study session tomorrow afternoon is better anyway because she has cram school right after school today and then tutors some freshman, too." Minako informed her.

 

"That's fine. Rei-chan texted me this morning and said she's too busy after her classes today with having to do not only her chores but Yuuichirou's chores also. She sounded pretty mad, something about him being a 'b-a-k-a' and pulling his ankle muscle or breaking his ankle. Said it had to do with Yoga or martial arts that Grandpa Hino was trying to teach him." Usagi shrugged, mentioning the earlier morning text messages Rei had sent her on the bus ride to her Catholic school.

 

"Seriously? Again? Sometimes I'm amazed that Yuuichirou is still alive and dating her. Okay, would your mom be fine with Makoto and I coming by after school today? We don't have to do evil homework, hell, we can save it for tomorrow. Ami! Stop giving me that disapproving look, you aren't coming with us so stop worrying, I'm sure Usagi's already done with all her tutoring stuff for the week. Hey! You are done with all your homeschooling stuff?"

 

"Most of it's finished, I just have to work on a summary essay for my modern English literature class. All my math, science, and Japanese history are done already. Sure, you two can come over, Mama won't mind but...Minako-chan, please don't ring the doorbell nonstop like last time."

 

"Last time? I don't know what you're talking about. I never once ever over abused ringing your front door's doorbell Usagi....wait...I did do that Makoto? Oh, my bad! Gomen. I promise never to do it again, I swear. Oh, we'll stop by the Seven-Eleven on the way to your place to get some actually tasty, non-healthy snacks since I know your mom hardly buys that much junk anymore. How do you survive with having to eat all of that organic stuff?"

 

"Because organic food isn't that bad! We just don't have a lot of snacks stocked piled right now...that's all...can you grab me some?" Usagi asked.

 

"Hai, what do you want?" Minako answered in reply.

 

"Can you pick me up some strawberry pocky, a bag of seaweed rice crackers, and the shrimp flavored rice crackers please?"

 

"Got it. Okay, I better go...yard teacher alert! Later!" Minako quickly rushed before ending the call, and Usagi heard a click.

 

"Well, it looks like Auntie Makoto and Auntie Minako are coming over later for a visit Owen." Usagi smiled informing her daughter, as Owen looked up from the smeared mess of her face and tray.

 

"Owen, look at you. You're supposed to eat your lunch, not wear it. Come on you, let's go clean you up. Guess we'll have to put you in another outfit for a nap after you get a little wash-up. Afternoon bathtime with Mr. Rubber Ducky." Usagi sighed noticing most of the inside of the sandwich pieces had gotten all over Owen's yellow bunny shirt and on her green jeans.

 

"D-DUCK!!!!!!!!" Owen cheered looking excited at her mother as if she had just said the magical word, making her blonde haired mother smile.

 

"That's right, the ducky is going to join you for bath time. Let's try not to get any bubbles or water on me like you did when Grandpa got soaked trying to help Grandma gives you a bath when you weren't in the mood for one." Usagi laughed, recalling how days ago, she had heard the dismaying cries of her father and her mother's hysterical laughter of "Oh Kenji! Relax! It's just baby soap and watered bubbles that hit your hair and clothes! Good job Owen, you gave Grandpa Kenji a bath!"

 

Usagi set the tray aside and removing Owen's t-shirt, before picking her up securely in her arms and marching the sticky toddler up to the stairs to the family bathroom.

 

* * *

 

 

"Well, washing up wasn't that bad. You got yourself clean, and I got my hair a little wet. You sure love making messes when playing with Mr. Rubber Ducky and Mr. Hopping Frog." Usagi laughed, as she rubbed Owen's dark locks of hair dry with the towel, sitting on her bed of purple sheets and blankets of moons, bunnies, and stars.

 

"M-mommy, a-again? Bu-bubbles?" Owen asked looking up at her, eagerly.

 

"No, no. No more bath time and bubbles. Maybe later tonight. Right now, it's time for a nap. Mister Bunny and Mister Dinosaur T-Rex are going to join you in your crib." Usagi explained softly, as she put the towel down, quickly brushing Owen's hair, before putting a pair of new clothes on her; a pink t-shirt that said 'Over The Moon For You', blue jean shorts, and white bunny-themed socks.

 

"N-nap?" Owen yawned, as her mother picked her up and brought her over to a white convertible crib that was against the wall of Usagi's bedroom.

 

It had once belonged to Usagi when she was a newborn baby and toddler, custom made, a gift from her father's parents when Ikuko was pregnant. It had been too personal to dispose of, with its custom hand carved bunnies and flowers. So it had stayed stored up in the attic.

 

_'One day we hoped to give it to either you or Shingo when you have a family of your own, but it felt like a fitting surprise baby shower gift'_ her father had told her when he had set it up in her bedroom slash nursery the day after the girls and Ikuko had thrown her a baby shower.

 

"Definitely fitting for you to have Owen, most definitely. All right you, Yes, it's nap time. Here are your stuffed animal friends, and here's Auntie Naru-chan's patchwork pillow." Usagi whispered, laying Owen down gently into her converted toddler bed, careful of the side wooden bars.

 

Owen's little eyes fought to stay awake, but within minutes she got comfortable and drifted to sleep on her pillow and her toddler-sized bedspread of stars, planets, and moons. Usagi didn't bother to tuck an extra blanket over her, feeling she was fine without extra blankets since it had been a warm day. Grabbing the baby monitor and placing a kiss on her daughter's forehead, she quietly left her bedroom, the door slightly ajar Usagi figured she could watch some television, catching up on some of her favorite early afternoon anime shows while Owen napped, alongside with her cat Luna downstairs.

 

* * *

 

 

"Hmm...sounds like Owen's enjoying the slumbers of dreamland up there. I wonder what she dreams about? What do you think, Luna?" Usagi turned from the small baby monitor on the sitting room table, to the black cat with a crescent moon bald spot on its forehead. Luna shrugged her shoulders in a cat-like way, before meowing quietly, staring at her owner, looking confused at the question as only a cat would.

 

"Yeah, who knows right? I think she probably dreams of sweets as I do, dinosaurs, the moon, maybe how to capture all the teddy bears and stuffed bunnies in all the toy stores we visit...or how many desserts she can get Mama or Papa to give her before they catch on to the little sad puppy routine like I used to do when I was her age." Usagi laughed while Luna meowed, clearly agreeing with her.

 

"Ah, it's so quiet for once down. I was able to finally finish up my free-write essay. I'll ask Ami to give it a look tomorrow for the study session. Now, why don't we get back to watching anime!" Usagi nodded, mentally patting herself on a job well done.

 

She channel surfed as she leaned back into the couch, relaxing for the first time that day.

The peace and quiet soon wouldn't last, however. The doorbell started buzzing loudly and suddenly she heard pounding on the front door.

 

"Nani? Who's that making all that—Oh no...Minako...if she wakes my baby girl up I'm going to strangle her..." Usagi hissed, glaring as she quickly got up and in her slipper socks and made a dash for the door. Usagi closed her eyes while quietly growled, ready to give her red-bowed friend a piece of her mind.

 

"Minako, how many times do I have to tell you baka not to ring the damn-you're not Minako..." Usagi stopped mid-lecture, noticing it was someone else at the front door.

 

"Hi Usagi, I take it you were expecting problematic-ditsy Minako and not me?" Mamoru Chiba grinned, flashing that amused smile of his as his favorite former Odango-Atama archenemy-now-friend looked dumbfounded to seeing him standing there.

 

"Mamo-Mamoru...Nani? What are you doing here? You would have woken Owen up from her nap if you kept ringing the doorbell," she hissed while Mamoru's eyes looked suddenly guilty and apologetic.

 

"Gomen Usa, I didn't know you and Owen were still here. I just assumed your mother would be the only home and you'd be with the girls after school let out. I came by to drop these off," Mamoru apologized while motioning to the books sticking out of a book bag he was carrying, as Usagi noticed his infamous motorcycle parked on the side of her family's driveway.

 

"It's all right, she sounds like she's still asleep...you know how she loves her nap time and all. Won't you come on in? I can make some tea or get some lemonade from the fridge. Stop standing there like a doofus," Usagi smiled and motioned for him to follow her. He nodded, donning some blue guest slippers on his way in.

 

"Where's your mother? I'm not used to seeing the house so quiet for our weekly tutoring sessions." Mamoru noted, feeling rather weird not having the matriarch of the Tsukino household try to feed him her famous baked cookies or triple-decker sandwiches and milk the whole visit.

 

"She had some errands to do, besides going to some meeting luncheon thing at Shingo's school. I dunno, sounded boring. Owen didn't feel like going anywhere after having a little temper tantrum when I came back this morning before Mama had to leave...she's still napping, guess lunch and that bath after we played wore her out," Usagi answered, as they both took a seat on the couch.

 

"She's probably napping like a certain Odango mother of hers, refusing to let anything interrupt her beauty sleep. Um...Usagi, your father isn't around, is he?" Mamoru's eyes darted, hoping silently that her infamous overprotective shotgun and rifle-wielding father wasn't lying in wait to shoot him.

 

"Yeah, she likes...Daddy? No, he's working late at the office working on some new articles for the press about something or another. He's not going to be joining us for dinner tonight. You're still scared of him? Kami, my father's completely harmless Mamo...he's just... a little protective of me and Owen. I'm sorry, again, he pulled a gun on you that one time you came back with the two of us from going to the park and..." Usagi drawled, blushing as she recalled how awkward it had been having to calm her father down from attempting to shoot Mamoru on the spot in the front yard, while Owen was laughing hysterically in her mother's arms.

 

"...I still have nightmares about that gun being pointed in my face sometimes at night. At least your Mother had managed to calm him down and let you explain mid-yell, _'Daddy! Mamoru and I are just friends! He's not the guy who had knocked—He's not Owen's father! Yes! You heard me! Mamoru-chan's just a friend and he isn't Owen's biological father, I promise! Now please lower your gun Daddy because you're scaring Mamo and making Owen think this is all fun and games!'_ I really thought he was actually going to shoot me right then and there had you not said something," Mamoru shuddered, remembering the incident all too well.

 

"Daddy's still sorry about... um... how he overreacted. He still wants to eliminate the guy who got me into this mess and all...but I keep telling him if things didn't turn out so badly as they did then he wouldn't have Owen to spoil rotten and try to get into baseball," Usagi shrugged, trying to look on the positive side of everything that had happened.

 

"True, he can't fault you for that despite becoming a mother a little earlier than he would have liked. So, you haven't heard from the guy still? The one Rei refers to as the 'Deadbeat Sperm Donor'...what's his name?" Mamoru asked, hoping it wasn't wrong or awkward that he asked as Usagi looked up at him from her seat on the couch.

 

"You mean Sascha? No... I don't even think anyone at that party who had gone to Minako's old school knew him. She said that her old classmate Hikaru's brother, who was throwing the party, had invited everyone from the Shiba Koen Junior High School and his High School. I think Sascha tagged along with friends... he was a foreign exchange student from the High School. He was a senior, seventeen I think." Usagi answered, as she tried recalling what she could remember from 'that one night' a couple of years ago, that felt like a lifetime ago.

 

She quietly eyed Mamoru as she tried to collect her thoughts some more. He was sitting there beside her, patiently waiting for her to continue explaining.

 

"All I remember was he spoke a decent amount of Japanese but his German accent made it hard for us to communicate and me to understand him. I remember us talking, him drinking what I had assumed was punch... it was actually mixed pineapple fruit punch, with who knows what dumped into it. I had a couple of glasses with him, and we were joking, Sascha trying to teach me some German, and I tried teaching him somemore Japanese. And then, somehow... he and I had ended up in another room down a hallway... in the laundry room, and then began the most awkward night ever. We were buzzed-slightly drunk... he slobbered on me when he was kissing me, and I guess buzzed me thought it was a great idea taking Minako's advice to just... you know..." Usagi paused, blushing red as she hoped that Mamoru clearly knew what she was referring to.

 

"You actually took Minako's so-called 'advice' for sex? Yeah, there's where you went wrong, along with going with her to a high school wanna-be-frat party. And look at the result - horrible first-time sex with a guy you didn't even know. I'd say that's quite the awkward night of regret," Mamoru smiled, offering his two-cents, but held back his private thoughts on how his Odango had 'lost her innocence'.

 

"Yeah, quite memorable, I know. It was beyond horrible... it was like, I can't believe we're even talking about this but you are the only one besides Makoto-chan whom I could talk to about this without being laughed at or questioned non-stop like an interrogation. So, yeah, my first time having sex with a slightly cute German high school boy wasn't magical; his breath smelled of booze and stale flavored chips... I almost fell off of the washing machine when we were doing it in the laundry room, trying to be quiet. He didn't last long, either, maybe five minutes? I didn't even ask him if he was clean, I was too buzzed-and pathetically desperate to lose my V-card to even think about that," Usagi admitted, feeling her cheeks flame more than she thought was possible.

 

"Don't feel too bad... did you know Motoki's first time losing his virginity to Reika was in a bathroom stall at a baseball game? Reika didn't talk to him for a couple of weeks because he 'finished too early'." Mamoru offered up, as Usagi's eyes went wide-eyed and smothered her laughter with her hands.

 

"Really? Ouch! Poor Reika. Motoki-kun told you this?"

 

"Yes, and he'll be regretting that now," Mamoru smirked.

 

"Yup! Well, anyway, no. I haven't heard anything from Sascha. The awkward continued as we got dressed and tried to talk after it was done. He seemed relieved after asking me about my age when I lied and said I was sixteen... what?! Don't look at me like that! It's what Minako told me to say if anyone asked. I remember he thought the sex between us was all right. He just didn't expect his first time to be with a girl on a washing machine but said it wasn't my fault. The last thing I remember him telling me was he was going back home to Berlin at the end of the semester. We didn't exchange contact information or last names. After leaving the laundry room, we went our separate ways. I found Minako and we both left to catch a taxi back to her house," Usagi explained, shaking her head at the insanity of how that night unfolded.

 

"Sorry, your first time was uh... buzzed at a highschool party with someone who was a mediocre lay, on a washing machine?" Mamoru offered, smiling as Usagi quirked her lips and shrugging her shoulders again.

 

"Oh well. It's not like he really meant anything to me, or me to him. At least out of all that, I got Owen and that's what matters. Besides, she's better off having me as a single mother than bringing a college absentee father into it. Even if I had been able to get a hold of him, he probably wouldn't have wanted to stick around to play a responsible guy to a pregnant girl and future kid. It worked out in the end," Usagi reasoned.

 

"At least Owen's a positive in your life, Usa. Changing gears, I brought some of these books to help you when your main instructor from the school district's tutoring program comes by. These are supplemental study texts on economics, Japanese history, American English, and creative writing. I thought they could help you if you're stuck on anything and you can't get a hold of me," Mamoru explained as he opened up the book bag, handing her the various thin workbooks and textbooks.

 

"You didn't have to do this Mamo, thank you. These might be a good help to me for future assignments and exam prep in a couple of months. I'll have to ask my main instructor if these will be all right for me to use as extra resources. You're really sweet," Usagi smiled as she pulled Mamoru into a friendly tight hug.

 

"Anytime. Happy to help you out, Odango," Mamoru smiled, feeling thrilled secretly at his favorite blond haired friend hugging him tightly.

 

"You really are a great guy, and such a good friend Mamo..." Usagi murmured into his black shirt.

 

"Usa-Usagi, about that... I was wondering if you'd... ever like to maybe go out sometime with me. Maybe as more than... what I'm trying to say is, Usagi I really li-" Mamoru stuttered until the front door slammed and they jumped apart in alarm.

 

"HELLO, HELLO USAGI-CHAN! THE FUN HAS ARRIVED, MINAKO IS HERE WITH THE SNACKS! Oh, and Makoto too!" Minako shouted as she skipped into the house, kicking off her shoes with a sighing Makoto following behind her, 7-Eleven bags in hand.

 

"Mina! Be quiet or your going to wake u-" Usagi tried shushing her but it was too late as they all started to hear the loud cries and wails of Owen from upstairs.

 

"Oh...did I wake up your mini-me? What? Oh, hey Mamoru-san! Why is he here? Usagi, Usagi?" Minako asked as she watched Usagi dashed up the stairs to her bedroom.

 

"Congratulations on your such wonderful timing of being that loud enough to wake up her daughter... Minako, didn't you ever learn how to knock or quietly enter a friend's residence with an indoor voice?" Mamoru asked while looking upstairs with concern as he heard Usagi trying to calm down a still wailing toddler Owen.

 

"No, my parents tried all of that and failed by the time I already was in the sixth grade. So'd you come over to hang out and help us with our homework or just help Usagi on baby duty? I'm surprised you were brave enough to show up here after Usagi's dad went Elmer Fudd on you with his guns." Minako grinned as the college student gave her a hard glare.

 

"Minako, be nice. Hi Mamoru, how's work going with your medical classes?" Makoto hushed the blonde as she moved to the couch.

 

"Same old part-time table waiting at that one hotel restaurant. Classes are interesting, keeping me busy alongside my tutoring with Usagi. How's high school treating you with that cooking class, Makoto?" Mamoru asked the brunette, purposely ignoring Minako, who looked insulted.

 

"It's the usual - classes, lunch, more classes, done. Cooking classes are great, I'm the head of the class with the best marks on cooking dish assignments. My double fudgy brownies and curry chicken rice really impressed our instructor." Makoto beamed.

 

"That's great, congratulations Makoto. Your cooking really is the best out of the girls... is something wrong Minako?"

 

"Oh no, go ahead and keep chatting you two... ignore me sitting here, I'll just watch some American cartoons... ignore Minako and don't ask her how she likes school... college boy baka," Minako mumbled, sitting with her arms crossed, eyes focused on the television.

 

"Have fun watching cartoons, I'll be right back, Makoto. I'm going to go see if Usagi needs any help trying to calm Owen down since 'somebody' woke her up from her nap." Mamoru eyed Minako, who blew a raspberry at him as he climbed the stairs.

 

"Really mature, Mina... really mature." Makoto sighed.

 

"He started it! I don't know why Usagi trusts him more with Owen than me? I love babies and kids. Plus, children love me right back. I mean, who wouldn't?!" Minako argued.

 

' _Yeah right, you can't even feed Artemis on schedule or survive the local daycare kids who get sassy with you when we walk by the preschools around Juuban... like as if Usagi would really trust you with her daughter,'_ Makoto silently thought to herself.

 

* * *

 

 

"It's okay baby, there, there. What happened? Did Auntie Mina wake you up with all that shouting and yelling like a crazy person?" Usagi tried calming down little Owen who was wailing in her arms with a tear streaked face.

 

Usagi looked over her over carefully as she continued to whimper softly. Her sky-blue eyes widened as she noticed her daughter's nose scrunch up. Usagi knew that look well.

 

"Owen... please tell me you didn't get so scared that you wet your pull up? You did, didn't you?!" Usagi exclaimed in a tight whisper.

 

"No..." Owen murmured while squirming in her arms, nose still scrunched.

 

"I guess that's a yes. Great, okay don't panic Usagi. Not the first time you had to deal with this... at least she isn't peeing all over you this time. Come on you, let's go to the diaper change counter... thank Kami your shorts didn't get soaked through." Carefully Usagi shimmied off Owen's jean as the toddler squirmed.

 

"Usagi, hey is Owen all right?" Mamoru's voice called as she heard him knocking on her closed bedroom door.

 

"Hai! She's okay, just trying to change her diaper! Could you help me out, please! I need a new pull up diaper and powder stat! They are on top of the baby dresser in a small basket!" Usagi called back behind her.

 

"On it! Minako and Makoto are downstairs. Blonde is helping herself to the television and the snacks they brought, while Makoto said she'd serve us all some lemonade from your kitchen." Mamoru informed her, as he handed her the things she needed.

 

"Hopefully Mina-baka doesn't eat my snacks. Hold on Owen, I gotta make sure you didn't get a rash from that wet diaper. There we go, see, now that wasn't bad, was it? Powder, all done. New pull-up diaper and your shorts are back on. Look who's here! It's Uncle Mamo-Chan!" Usagi smiled as she hoisted up the pig-tailed little girl, watching as her little blue eyes went wide and she started clapping her hands in excitement.

 

"Mamo!!!!!" Owen hollered happily, seeing the familiar ebony haired man with his green jacket she adored.

 

"Owen-kun! How's my favorite little Mochi-Monster? Can your favorite uncle get a hug?" Mamoru grinned, holding his hands out as he watched Usagi put Owen down to the floor, her little legs rushing right for a hug.

 

"My Mamo! Up! Up now Mamo!" Owen demanded with a toothy smile.

 

"Owen, what do we say when we want up, sweetie? We say please, tell Uncle Mamo please," Usagi reminded her in a calm motherly voice as Owen looked from her Uncle to her Mother, then back to her Uncle.

 

"P-please? Please, Mamo? Up!" Owen begged, raising her hands again before she started laughing as she was scooped into a hug by the college student.

 

"I see your Odango mother's been teaching you some manners. What happened Owen, did ditzy Auntie Minako's annoying noise wake up from your nap?" Mamoru asked her in a cooing voice, Owen's lips quivering as she nodded vigorously.

 

"H-hai! M-Minako bad, very bad. Woke me up. Bad Minako!" Owen told him as she nodded.

 

"I'm so sorry she woke you up and scared you. Don't worry, my favorite Mochi-Monster, your Mommy and I will protect you from the dreaded Minako. The great Tuxedo Kamen will protect you," Mamoru assured her with a smile as he moved his free hand behind his back and revealed his infamous Tuxedo Kamen Puppet Doll.

 

"Seriously Mamoru... you actually brought that with you? I thought you retired that thing back in my first trimester after Minako and Rei kept making fun of you for cheering me up with it." Shaking her head, she watched her former archenemy start mimicking a superhero voice, making various weird speeches talking as the Puppet and entertaining Owen with his antics.

 

"T-Tux! Tux! Tux! More Mamo! More Tux Mamo Please!"

 

"It's okay, fair maiden Usagi! I, the great Tuxedo Kamen will never reveal your secret adoration for puppet-me to anyone else. I swear on the honor of little Princess Owen. Isn't that right, Owen-kun?" Tuxedo Kamen puppet talked, moving his arms holding a fake red rose towards the two-year-old toddler who continued to giggle and laugh at Mamoru's antics.

 

"Of course she won't tell anyone silly, she has no idea what you are talking about! I still think it's weird that your parents saved that puppet for you in their inheritance," Usagi said thoughtfully.

 

"Yeah, it was strange finding this. Perhaps my mother was into making puppets or collecting them? I think this is the best thing to come from the box of photographs, mementos, and paperwork set aside by the estate lawyer. I don't know why I named him Tuxedo Kamen, though? Maybe I just like his tuxedo suit," Mamoru mused, as he kept moving the puppet around Owen's hands, prompting more giggles.

 

"Maybe she did collect puppets like this one. He is kind of cute and even resembles you a bit. And silly puppet or not, I'm glad we became better friends, Mamo. We should get downstairs before Minako eats all the snacks and starts raiding the kitchen for more, though." Usagi motioned to the door as Mamoru nodded and scooped up the toddler.

 

“Hey! Minako! You better not be eating all my snacks!" Usagi called down as she spotted her blonde 'sister' in crime.

 

"Relax, your snacks are on the sofa. I'm just eating the pork rinds I got for myself. Ohhh! Look who it is!!! Hello there Owen-kun! Did we have a nice nappy time? Want to come over to Aunt Minako?" Minako grinned as she got up and dashed over to the toddler while Owen... looked on with complete fear.

 

"N-no! No! No! Go away! No Auntie Mina! Not her! No! Mamo! Mama!" Owen cried as she clung tightly to Mamoru's jacket and her eyes started to tear up again.

 

"It's okay kiddo, Uncle Mamoru's got you. Um, maybe next time Minako...she just woke up from her nap and probably wants a drink. Usagi, I'll take her to get her some juice. Any in the fridge?" Mamoru asked, refusing to let Minako get her hands on his 'niece'.

 

"There should be some organic grape juice in the fridge. She has an extra sippy cup inside there too, with a pink kitty lid on it." Usagi told him as he nodded and turned, carrying Owen into the kitchen.

 

"Seriously? She'll let the world's grumpiest lonely turtle hermit hold her and play with her but not me? I'm the one who has the greatest fashion sense and knows how to have fun! Usagi, how could Owen choose Mamoru-Nerd-Boring-Baka over me, the inspirational former actress-model? I even gave her a Sailor V doll and t-shirt with a matching hat for her birthday last year!" Minako cried, feeling utterly betrayed by the little Tsukino.

 

"Maybe she knows you're just horrible with kids? Children can sense when someone doesn't have good people skills by just looking at them...at least that's what the pediatrician on television talk show says," Makoto snickered as she came into the living room with a tray of lemonades and some leftover sandwiches Ikuko-Mama had left.

 

"Not helping Makoto. Seriously, how could Owen like spending time with Mamoru Chiba of all people and not me? Your daughter's not a people person, Usagi," Minako sniffed.

 

"Actually, she is a people person within reason. She loves her mommy and family, and all the girls, even Naru-chan and Umino-chan. Owen just doesn't like people who look like strangers to her. That just makes her nervous I guess..."Usagi shrugged, as she sat down on the floor, helping herself to a half of an egg sandwich and a glass of lemonade.

 

"I'm not a stranger! She knows me! I was there with all the other girls right after you had her!"

 

"Owen probably still remembers the trauma from when you first held her. You scared the crap out of her by shoving your face into hers, and then almost dropped her because you weren't holding her safely as Usagi showed us. Ami did say babies can start forming memories as soon as they enter the world," Makoto offered, grinning evilly while Usagi looked away, feeling a little guilty as Minako looked insulted.

 

"No way! There's no way she hates me because of that. I technically didn't drop her... she just slipped out of my grasp and hollered a cry before Usagi demanded I give Owen back 'before you kill her with your stupidity Mina-baka!' She's still alive." Minako defended as Mamoru came back into the room, Owen and her sippy cup in tow.

 

"I don't even know how you've kept Artemis still alive at this point Aino, please never have children or babysit anyone's child... for their sake," Mamoru smirked.

 

"Who asked you, college boy? I'll prove I'm good with children, hand me Owen please," Minako said, motioning to the child as Mamoru gave her a hard look.

 

"No way, you already scared awake and ruined Usagi's schedule for her. She literally wet herself in fear thanks to your hyena yelling. As Owen's uncle and the only older guy besides Motoki that Usagi trusts with her, I'm not letting you hold this child. Not on my watch, blonde." Mamoru replied, keeping a protective arm around Owen, who looked around at everyone quietly.

 

"You mean to let her be corrupted by a boring, puppet playing geek like you? Come on! Let me hold her!" Minako argued, trying to make a grab for the little girl whose eyes locked onto the blonde...and started to quiver and cry.

 

"Minako!!!!!!!!" Usagi and Makoto both yelled.

 

"What?! What did I do? I didn't do it!"

 

"You're making my little baby cry! You're so not holding her, give her here Mamo. Thank you." Usagi said, taking Owen as Mamoru handed her over from his spot on the floor.

 

"Mommy! No wanna go to Minako-Baka!" Owen cried, hugging her mother as she eyed Minako with a glare.

 

"Baka?! She called ME a baka?!" Minako gasped, looking insulted.

 

"Baka! Baka! Baka! BAAAKA!" Owen chanted, smirking the way only a child could while the entire room burst into laughter.

 

"Okay sweetheart, that's enough...please stop calling Auntie Mina that because...that's not nice," Usagi tried putting on her 'mommy voice' while still laughing.

 

"I take it all back, I'd rather babysit Luna or for that one crazy cat lady up the street and her million cats than ever watch your demon child, Usagi. I can't believe her, calling me of all people a baka. Maybe Rei should do a fire reading to see if she's possessed by an evil spirit or something," Minako hissed, sticking her tongue out at Owen while the child returned the gesture from over Usagi's shoulder.

 

"Kami help whoever dates, marries, and reproduces with you, Minako," Mamoru mumbled while rolling his eyes and snagging a sandwich.

 

"HEY! I RESENT THAT CHIBA!" Minako growled.

 

"Baka!!!!!! My Mamo! Leave my Mamo alone! Baka! Baka!" Owen shouted back at the hair bowed blonde.

 

"Owen! Stop saying 'Baka' please sweetie." Usagi tried calming her down.

 

"I'm so glad I came over today Usagi," Makoto laughed.

 

* * *

 

 

"These Pocky sticks are so good. Mamo, would you like one?" Usagi asked, offering him one of the stick biscuit crackers.

 

"Sure. Arigato Usa," he accepted the stick with a nod.

 

"Can I have one 'Usa-sempai'?" Minako snarked at a now-annoyed Mamoru.

 

"Didn't you buy your own box of Pocky, Minako? I could've sworn I saw you toss two boxes of the cookies-n-cream flavored ones in your basket when we were at the 7-Eleven." Makoto supplied from her spot on the floor, building a colorful block tower with the toddler.

 

"...Squealer..." Minako murmured while Usagi sighed in annoyance.

 

"HELLO! Usagi! Are you still here with the baby? I need some help bringing in these groceries so I can get a quick start on dinner," Ikuko-Mama's voice called out from the front door.

 

"Hai Mama! We're here! Minako, Makoto, and Mamoru are all here visiting, too." Usagi called back as she got up from the couch, Mamoru joining her to go help.

 

"Can you watch her please Makoto? We're going to go help Mama with the bags."

 

"Sure, no problem! Owen and I are busy trying to build London Bridge, aren't we Owen?" Makoto smiled as she wiggled her fingers at the little girl who giggled brightly.

 

* * *

 

 

"Here Mama, let us take these for you." Usagi offered, grabbing a bag out of her mother's arm.

 

"Allow me, Mrs. Tsukino. Nice to see you again. I came by to drop off some extra books for Usagi to help her out with studying and she invited me to stay for a while. I hope that's okay with you?" Mamoru explained.

 

"Thank you so much Mamoru, I appreciate that. Well, that sounds like a good reason to stop by and see Usagi. I'm sure my granddaughter was delighted to see you, too. You're so good with her! Maybe you should consider majoring in education to be a teacher instead of a doctor," Ikuko grinned at the blush spreading across the young man's cheeks.

 

"What's with him? Hey Chiba, here to help my sister survive her senior year? Good luck with that," Shingo joked as he loped into the house with his backpack and soccer ball.

 

"Believe it or not, your sister's actually doing a good job with her studies through the school's homeschooling program. She's a lot easier to tutor than others I have to deal with in my college's science and math departments." Mamoru smirked, noticing Shingo looking a bit red while mumbling a 'Sorry Usagi' when Ikuko gave her youngest child a sharp look.

 

"Shingo, you should be proud of your sister doing so well with her schooling. She's improved so much since having more personal help through the home school tutoring and Mamoru-san here helping, too," Ikuko lectured Shingo as he took off upstairs before the woman turned her attention back to Mamoru.

 

"My husband and I can never thank you enough for helping Usagi so much in the last two years. She'd have fallen behind for sure without help and the district really forced our hand with the home study program. I'm sure you don't do private tutoring for all the lovely girls like our Usagi, but I know you two are such close friends." Ikuko grinned, making the college freshmen blush even more.

 

"I'm always happy to help Usa-Usagi out. Hai, she's become one of my greatest friends, besides Motoki that is, I-" Mamoru stammered.

 

"Mama, stop making Mamo-chan all nervous. He's still walking on eggshells from what Daddy 'did to him' last time. Come on Mamo, help me take these in the kitchen." Usagi sighed looking disapproving at her mother, shaking her head as Mamoru's face still flamed.

 

"Uh, I'll consider becoming a teacher if studying to become a doctor isn't in my future as I continue at university, Mrs. Tsukino," Mamoru nodded, before following Usagi to the kitchen quickly.

 

Ikuko looked on as her daughter and male companion quickly grabbed the grocery bags from her hands. She smiled in silent thanks to them both as they nodded before they rushed off into the kitchen.

 

_'It seems Mamoru-san still knows his way around our home. He's so adorable and just great with her and Owen,'_ Ikuko silently thought to herself, as she slipped off her high heels and into her pair of comfortable blue slippers before heading to the living room.

 

"Hello girls, will you both be staying for dinner?" Ikuko waved to the pair.

 

"Hi, Ikuko-Mama! I'd love to join you all for dinner." Makoto smiled, always feeling it was so thoughtful and sweet of Usagi's mother to want to invite her and everyone who was in her house to join the family for meals.

 

"I'd love to eat with all of you for dinner but I can't...I promised my mom I'd be back home on time. It's Friday and she's making.... ugh...Shepherd's pie with lamb for my dad. I hate it but it reminds them of when we lived abroad in England." Minako sighed, sad to miss out on Ikuko-Mama's cooking.

 

"Sorry to hear that, Minako, I'm sure your mother's dinner will be delicious, though. I could never get the hang of trying to make those types of casserole pies the English make. Usagi! Minako's leaving! Come over here and say goodbye," Ikuko called out for her daughter, as she heard a gasp from the floor.

 

"Grandma! Grandma! Grandma! You home!!!" Owen cried happily as she saw a polished looking Ikuko, dressed sharply in a tailored shirt, knee-length pencil skirt, and matching maroon dress coat.

 

"There's my little one! Come here, Owen-kun! Come to Grandma-Ikuko! Ahaha! Did you miss me?" Ikuko laughed as she knelt down to her granddaughter's level and swept the little pigtailed girl into a hug.

 

"Missed you, Grandma! I played with Makoto, Mommy, and Mamo! I took a nap too!" Owen started babbling to her as Ikuko hoisted her up into her arms.

 

"Really? Then I bet you had a lot of fun today with your mommy and everyone coming over to visit you. Were you a good girl?" Ikuko asked, giving her a wink as Owen laughed.

 

"Hai Grandma! I was good! Mamo say I was really good!" Owen promised, grinning.

 

"I'm sure you were. Okay, Owen, you stay here for a second with Minako and Makoto while I go upstairs to change, so I can start making dinner. Sit right here and play with your blocks." Ikuko placed her back down on to the floor as Usagi and Mamoru returned from their grocery unloading.

 

"Mama, we put everything away. What's all the baking stuff for?" Usagi asked.

 

"Oh, the big supermarket had a sale on baking supplies, so I stocked up. Shingo's soccer team and the girls' soccer team decided to do a joint bake sale next week to raise money for the PTA. I'll be baking some lemon pies, lemon bars, and cookies for the sale. I stocked up on some good organic ingredients from that market and it was worth it thanks to the sale and coupons." Ikuko grinned.

 

"Mm-mm sounds great!" Usagi turned to Mamoru as her mother went upstairs to change.

 

"Mamo, can you watch Owen while I walk Minako out?"

 

"Sure, I'll help Makoto teach her how to take down this block bridge," he replied, joining the two on the floor.

 

"Sorry I can't stay for dinner. Mom's orders! I'll see you guys tomorrow at Rei's, I'll bring the good mangas and magazines for breaks," Minako winked on her way out the door.

 

"We'll bring the snacks, be safe walking home, Minako," Usagi laughed, giving the blonde a quick hug before Minako nodded, taking off down the driveway.

 

"What about you, Mamo-chan? Are you going to join us for dinner? There's plenty of room and I know you like mama's army-sized pile of baked goods."

 

"You sure it's okay? I could always head home if it's too much of an inconvenience for your mother," Mamoru demurred until a familiar voice cut him off.

 

"It's no inconvenience, Mamoru Chiba! None at all! You have nothing to worry about, Kenji-san and his deadly shotguns are not going to be joining us for dinner tonight! I made sure to hide the guns and ammo up in the attic where he can't find them. Stay, I insist. I never let any of my children's friends leave this house without at least joining one of our meals." Ikuko called down in motherly command.

 

"If it's alright with you, Mrs. Tsukino, then I'd love to join the family for dinner." Mamoru smiled in amazement at how she cornered him into agreeing.

 

"Please dear, call me Ikuko or Ikuko-Mama like the girls do. I let all of Usagi's best and dearest friends call me either name, No more of this Mrs. Tsukino business. Usagi! Make sure you set the table for both Makoto and Mamoru!" Ikuko called down again before they heard her walk off and into her bedroom.

 

"Hai....it's best to just go along with whatever my Mama demands that you do. She runs a tight ship in our household. Come on Makoto-chan, you can help me set the table up while Mamo keeps playing with Owen."

 

"On it! Have fun playing with Uncle Mamo!"

 

* * *

 

 

"Mama, we're done here. Do you need any help with dinner?" Usagi asked as she and Makoto stepped into the kitchen.

 

"Actually, I could use some help. Usagi could you two take some of the vegetables in the refrigerator and start making a salad? It'll be a side dish to go with this curried rice and nori flakes I'm making." Ikuko pointed to the fridge, while she whisked the various seasonings with water in a small dish.

 

"Hai Mama. Makoto, there are two small cutting boards in that drawer over there by the bread box. Let me grab the knives and then I'll get the veggies to washing in the sink."

 

"Okay, how about making a nice cold veggie salad without lettuce or cabbage? A cucumber salad with some shredded radishes and carrots would be delicious. Perhaps some sliced cherry tomatoes? With a vinaigrette?" Makoto suggested Ikuko who was busy browning pork and chopped onions in a frying pan.

 

"That sounds like it'll be refreshing with the curry and rice. Usagi, just grab some of the leftover tomatoes that I didn't make into that pasta sauce from the other day. There should be a few carrots, cucumber, and a small bunch of radishes in the drawer as well," Ikuko added.

 

"Got them!," Usagi smiled, arms full of various colorful veggies.

 

" I hope you and Mamoru-san will like pork curry a little on the spicy side. I haven't made this in quite a long time but the peanut butter and chilis make it really delicious, I'll be sure to have plenty of leftovers for Kenji's lunch tomorrow, too." Ikuko grinned to the pony tailed teen who was busy shredding radishes and carrots into a salad bowl.

 

"Sounds all right with me Ikuko-Mama. I've never had pork curry before, I usually just make chicken or beef curry when I find a good cut on the sale. Living alone, I've learned to put myself on a budget when it comes to grocery shopping and planning meals. I even have a little potted garden on my balcony. Just enough space for a few baby tomatoes, green onions, garlic bulbs, and some herbs." Makoto shared, wanting to make conversation with Usagi's mother.

 

"That's wonderful! Gardening with a small number of plants helps control the amount of hard work you have to do in tending the herbs and vegetables. I'm still trying to get my husband to agree with mine and Usagi's plan for a little greenhouse in our backyard. We have plenty of room near our outdoor patio. I'm thinking of taking the old wooden rack in the garage and turning it into an instant greenhouse. It would be perfect." Ikuko shared, continuing to simmer the sauce with the curry ingredients.

 

"Yeah Makoto-chan, it's going to be an amazing shelf greenhouse! Mama and I would paint it white. It would be so perfect to grow some of our favorite vegetables, herbs, and spices, but daddy won't budge on the idea! Says it's too much work and space - but it wouldn't be! He's so stubborn," Usagi added, continuing to chop the vegetables for the cold salad at the kitchen counter.

 

"Maybe he'll give in eventually if Ikuko-Mama here does something to help change his mind," Makoto suggested with a mischievous wink as she, Usagi, and Ikuko all started laughing.

 

"Oh, you girls better believe I have a plan to win him over on that greenhouse project. I always do," Ikuko assured them with a smirk.

 

* * *

 

 

"This looks so boring! No offense, Mamoru, but I can't believe you aren't bored out of your mind hanging out with my niece, much less my klutz of a sister. Don't get me wrong, I love helping out from time to time with Owen-chan, but not every day." Shingo commented, ignoring the television in favor of watching the college student and toddler seated next to him.

 

"No, I'm never bored hanging out with your sister. I used to be when she and I first started running into another at the Crown Arcade, but no more! She's not that bad, really. As for this little princess here, Owen can never be boring, isn't that right you little Mochi-Monster?" Mamoru playfully growled at the little girl who was sitting on his lap, laughing and roaring back at him and the t-rex stuffed animal in Mamoru's hand.

 

"Rawr!!!! Roar!!!! The Rex says ROAR!!!!!" Owen hollered as she made scary faces at her Uncle, laughing in delight as he made faces back at her while they played.

 

"I'll never understand you or my sister sometimes. At least you both can entertain Owen easily. She gets bored with me after a while, even when I let her ride on my back." Shingo shared, shaking his head as the two ignored him, continuing on with their 'roaring' dinosaur game.

 

"May I have all roaring dinosaurs' and baka-little brothers' attention please?" Usagi called as she came into the living room.

 

"Mommy!!! Roar!!!!" Owen growled, raising her hands up like claws, alongside her ebony-haired uncle.

 

"Oh Kami, you two are just too much together sometimes...anyhow, dinner is ready. So if there are any t-rexes who want to eat some spicy pork curry and a nice salad, and maybe some leftover cinnamon sweet potatoes..." Usagi announced, trying not to laugh at how crazy her daughter and Mamoru were being.

 

"Dinner, finally! I'm starving!" Shingo sighed dramatically as he took off from the couch into the dining room.

 

"D-dinner?" Owen asked looking towards her mother with confusion at the word.

 

"Dinner time Owen, remember? We talked about this word like snacks, breakfast, and lunch all being time to eat. Eat. Remember? It's time to eat food," Usagi gently tried to remind her, as she watched Owen's eyes go wide with recognition.

 

"Food! Food! Food! Time to eat! Eat! Let's go Mamo! Eat time!" Owen declared as she hopped off of Mamoru's lap and the couch, to try taking off out of the room...until her mommy scooped her up.

 

"Not so fast my little runaway jackrabbit, let's all go wash our hands first." Usagi chided as Owen's little lips broke into an unhappy pout.

 

"I got to Mommy?" she whined while Mamoru laughed, following them to the downstairs guest bathroom.

 

"Yes, we have to wash our hands because it's the rules. You don't want to eat with germs before having dinner, do you, Owen?" Usagi asked her, grinning.

 

"Okays...Mamo gotta w-wash hands too?" Owen countered, looking to Mamoru immediately.

 

"Hai Owen, I have to wash my hands too. It's good hygiene and manners to wash your hands." Mamoru answered.

 

"I wash hands." Owen decided, her little mind figuring if both her mommy and uncle Mamo were going to wash their hands, she'd do the same.

 

* * *

 

 

"Now that everyone is here, everybody please take a seat. Shingo, touch that dish and your hand will be asking to be smacked by my wooden spoon," Ikuko warned as she eyed her son.

 

"...Ugh...fine." Shingo grumbled, removing his hands from the bowl holding the curry. He was seated next to Makoto, while Usagi and Mamoru bracketed Owen's high chair.

 

"Always impatient just like your father, I swear sometimes... all right everyone, bow your heads for the usual prayers of thanks...you too Shingo!" Ikuko ordered gently, as they all bowed their heads, even the littlest member of the table, trying to copy her mother's movements.

 

After everyone said 'itadakimasu', Ikuko started asking for everyone's small rice bowls and plates.

Her hands moving in the usual dinner routine, scooping spoonfuls of steamed rice and spicy pork curry on each plate, then finishing them off with a baked sweet potato. Once the plates were done, she filled each ceramic bowl with a good helping of the cold cucumber salad and a dollop of dressing. Shingo accepted his dishes from his mother with a quick "Arigato Mom!", before digging into his food, chopsticks flying. Makoto politely thanked Ikuko, accepting her bowl and plate, and taking her time to savor the curried rice.

 

Usagi thanked her mother with an "Arigato Mama, let me make a small plate for Owen"; taking a plastic Hello Kitty plate and scooping a small amount of each dinner item onto it. Little Owen looked on with delight and a little drool as her mommy placed the plate and a sippy cup on her high-chair tray. The toddler reached over to her mother to give her a kiss on the cheek, clearly her way of thanking her for the meal, before she dove into her food with fists and glee.

 

"Looks like somebody has her mother's appetite for curry," Mamoru chuckled as he watched his favorite toddler devour her dinner, stuffing her chipmunk mouth contently.

 

"She looks so much like you did at the same age, Usagi. Just squirreling away pieces of food! Here you go Mamoru-san, a nice big portion of everything, growing men need their energy," Ikuko smiled at Mamoru as she returned his full plate and bowl.

 

"Thank you, Ikuko, oh wow... this is a lot of rice and curry. It smells great." Mamoru stared wide-eyed at just how much food Usagi's mother had piled onto his plate.

 

"You better get used to it, Mom never lets anyone go hungry here. Not that I'm complaining, It's so good!" Shingo commented between bites of curry.

 

"If it's too much, feel free to share with me or Owen. I'm sure Owen will want more with how fast her dinner's disappearing," Usagi offered softly to Mamoru.

 

"Mommy! Done! More please?" Owen asked with a sticky grin.

 

"You certainly eat faster than I do! Here's some more Owen. I'm definitely making sure to give you a bath after this," Usagi sighed as she spooned some of her meal off of her plate onto Owen's plate.

 

"Thankies Mommy! Mmm!!" Owen said before diving in for round two of dinner.

 

"Great Kami, she's worse than you were in the home videos Dad would show us. And can you refrain from talking about diaper changing baka, 'some of us' are trying to eat here," Shingo sneered.

 

"Stuff it and your face Shingo! It's not like we haven't talked about worse things than my daughter's dirty diapers here. Especially some of the dirty rotten things you and your baka little friends will talk about when they come over," Usagi retorted as Shingo stuck out his tongue.

 

"Shingo! Usagi! Cut it out now! We have company over, and Shingo please stop the complaining. Owen's barely a toddler and toddlers do things like that, you were far worse than she is when you were her age. I had to fight to keep your diapers and training pants on when all you wanted to do was run around the house like a little nudist, young man!" Shingo blushed in horror as the other laughed in amusement.

 

"Oh really?" Makoto asked with a smirk.

 

"This is quite entertaining, any more stories about the misadventures of Usa's daredevil naked little brother, Ikuko?" Mamoru asked, looking entertained while Usagi was trying to hold back her laughter, and Owen was too occupied with eating potatoes to notice.

 

"MAMA!!!!!!! YOU SWORE YOU'D NEVER TELL ANYONE ABOUT THAT!!! MY GOD!!!" Shingo cried, blushing tomato red.

 

"And you actually believed her, baka? Mama never swears, she's the queen of story-telling when it comes to having dirt on all of us in this family, including Daddy... the blackmail she's got on him is even more hilarious," Usagi snickered, looking so delighted to see her rotten brother suffer.

 

"That's it, I'm finishing dinner in my room... shut up you dumpling haired baka!" Shingo growled, standing up from his chair, taking his drink and plate with him in a huff.

 

"Fine, be that way! Would you rather me add to Mama's story of the time you missed peeing in the kiddy toilet and sprayed the whole bathroom before you ran off, naked, to go announce to Mama and Daddy how 'I tingled pee-pee all in the choo-choo seat!!!! I did it!' Hmm? I think we still have it on a home video at Nana's," Usagi fired back while Makoto and Mamoru howled in laughter along with Ikuko.

 

"YOU SUCK A THOUSAND TIMES RIGHT NOW USAGI-BAKA!!!" Shingo screamed, storming off up the stairs and with a final slam of his door.

 

"He had a kiddy toilet seat that looked like a train?" Makoto got out between guffaws.

 

"Hai! And it was so cute, whenever Kenji and I would have to force him onto the thing, to make him feel proud of going potty we'd pretend to pull on a train whistle and Shingo would shout with us, 'Whooo! Whooo!' Thankfully, we never had to resort to any of that with Usagi," Ikuko shared as both Usagi's friends howled more in hysterical laughter.

 

"Whooo! Whooo!" Owen mimicked in a shout from her high chair, raising her right hand up in a 'pulling motion' as her grandmother had done, as they all looked up at her, and everyone started laughing again.

 

* * *

 

 

"Thanks for dinner and the greatest storytelling ever Ikuko-Mama, that was fun! Maybe Usagi should invite us all over for dinners like this," Makoto grinned, as Ikuko nodded.

 

"It's no problem Makoto. Since tomorrow's Saturday, why don't you stay the night instead of having to take that late bus back to your apartment? I'm sure Usagi wouldn't mind having more company tonight," Ikuko suggested, not feeling right about Makoto having to trek across Juuban.

 

"Hai, I've got extra pajamas and clothes you can borrow. My bed is big enough for two as well! Plus, you can help me with Owen's bath!" Usagi added, looking thrilled at Makoto sleeping over.

 

"Okay, sounds good...better than that crummy bus and walking." Makoto agreed.

 

"Thank you for the dinner and dessert, Ikuko. Those lemon bars were some of the best I've ever had." Mamoru bowed politely.

 

"You're very welcome! It was no trouble at all. We were happy to have you and please don't hesitate to come by more often than just these tutoring days. Like I told Makoto, you always have a place at this table, whether Kenji complains or not," Ikuko smiled, winking as he nodded shyly.

 

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for inviting me to stay Usagi, it was nice," he said turning his friend, with Owen by her side.

 

"I thought it was a good idea, didn't want you starving and all. Owen honey, time to say goodbye to Uncle Mamoru. It's past his bedtime," Usagi motioned to Owen to say goodbye to him.

 

"Huh? Mamo go bye-bye?" Owen asked, looking confused as Mamoru exchanged his guest slippers for regular black shoes.

 

"Yes sweetie, it's night time and your Uncle needs to go home to sleep. Everyone goes home after visiting others as he has us. He's got to go bye-bye." Ikuko explained to her, as it suddenly clicked inside of Owen's little mind what that meant.

 

"Mamo go?! No! No! Don't go Mamo! Please don't go Mamo! Don't go!" Owen cried to a stunned Mamoru, her face pouting as she clung to his legs like a clinging bear cub.

 

"Owen honey, no, don't do that baby. Come here sweet pea. I'm sorry you're upset about this but Uncle Mamo has to go home, he's got work and studying for his own classes I'm sure. He can't stay here with us anymore tonight. It's time for him to go now," Usagi tried explaining to her, while carefully trying to unlatch her daughter from Mamoru's pant leg.

 

"No! No! No Mommy! Mamo don't go! Don't go! Please stay! Stay!" Owen begged as she kicked and fought her mother's grasp.

 

"Hey, hey. It's alright my little monster, Owen...look at me," Mamoru gently spoke as he bent down and carefully pried the girl's arms off of his leg.

 

"Mamo don't go. Stay, please?" Owen begged through little tears as he picked her up from the ground. "I'm sorry I've got to go, but your Mommy and Grandma are right. I've got to go home to do some grown-up boring stuff, like studying textbooks, then bath and bedtime for me. Tomorrow I'm busy all day at my jobs. And you have lots of things to do with your mommy tomorrow, too, I bet." Mamoru explaining, guilt curling in his gut at her continued pleading.

 

"B-but I don't want you to go Mamo. Who gonna play with Mommy and me tomorrow? Stay please!"

 

"I'm sure you'll have fun playing with all your 'Aunts' tomorrow when your Mommy takes you to visit Aunt Rei at her shrine. Aunt Makoto will be there too. It's okay Owen, I'll see you on Sunday when you, your mother, and I yet to hang out for the day, all right? Can you be a tough little dinosaur until then? For me?" Mamoru asked her, speaking in a gentle voice as he stroked her silky, black hair.

 

"Dinosaur? Rawr? We play later Mamo?" Owen looked hopeful at the thought of getting to see him later, and have her Mamo all to herself and her mommy.

 

"Hai, we'll have lots of fun on Sunday. We'll have some fun and play with your mommy and have some snacks when we go to the park to see the ducks. We'll do whatever you and your mommy want all Sunday. I promise." Mamoru nodded, assuring her.

 

"Miss you...P-promise? Promise Mamo?" she asked softly, her pleading, hopeful she's reminding him of her mother.

 

"I promise Mochi-Monster," Mamoru answered her, smiling as he suddenly felt Owen hug him, clutching his shirt.

 

"Miss you, Mamo," Owen murmured with a final nuzzle to his shirt as Usagi pulled her from him. "I'll miss you too Mochi," Mamoru smiled.

 

"You really have such a way with her Mamo-chan, I think it's safe to say you are her best friend beside her favorite stuffed animals and Luna." Usagi laughed kindheartedly as Mamoru blushed.

 

"Uh, it's nothing... I guess I have a way with kids, maybe? How could anyone not get along great with a child like her? She's something really special, Usagi. Owen, you take care of your Mommy here until we hang out later this weekend. All right?"

 

"Okay, promise Mamo..." Owen smiled with a nod, as she snuggled into Usagi's hold. Ikuko appeared before them with an old backpack and leftovers containers.

 

"Oh here! Before you go, please take some leftovers from dinner, along with homemade caramel apple fritters from last night, too. I thought you'd like some meals for when you're studying between jobs,"

 

"Oh wow, you shouldn't have! Really, I... what's the backpack for?" Mamoru inquired as Makoto and Usagi both eyed each other with a sigh.

 

"For you to take your goodies home on your bike, silly. I couldn't help but notice that lovely motorcycle parked in my driveway when I came home. This is one of those backpacks made for carrying both hot and cold food. I found it in a cooking store awhile back," Ikuko explained as she started packing the containers of meals into the backpack, before handing it to him.

 

"Thank you so much, Ikuko. I guess I'll see you sometime Sunday, call and let me know what time is good for me to pick you up, Usa."

 

"Will do! Okay, Owen, time to say goodnight and bye-bye to your Uncle," Usagi smiled as she carried Owen closer over to Mamoru.

 

"Night and bye-bye Mamo," Owen murmured as she reached out to give him a hug around his neck and a kiss on his cheek.

 

"Be a good girl for your mommy. Don't drive anyone too crazy tomorrow... except Minako..." Mamoru smirked, giving Owen a wink as she giggled.

 

"Have a good night, Mamoru. Why don't I take this little rugrat with me to start her bath? Come on Owen-chan, your rubber duckies and sponge dinosaurs are waiting," Makoto chuckled mischievously as she snatched Owen and jogged up the stairs to hollers of excitement.

 

"I'm not even going to ask why Makoto-chan did that... come on Mamo, I'll walk you out," Usagi said, grabbing the helmet from the couch and making her way to the door.

 

"Have a good night, Mamoru. Be safe riding that bike of yours," Ikuko said as she gave Mamoru a hug before watching them both leave the house.

 

_'They are too cute together. Makoto clearly took over Owen's bath time so Usagi could have some time alone with him... smart girl.'_ Ikuko thought as she quietly went to the window to observe the two together.

 

* * *

 

  
"Thanks again for coming over. Helping me out with Owen and staying for dinner was fun." Usagi said, walking with Mamoru to where his bike was parked.

 

"Thanks for having me. I've never really had a home cooked meal, or... you know... been with a family like yours before. Not even with Motoki and his family. I, well you know, don't get out much being a lone-wolf hermit..." Mamoru mumbled but knowing Usagi understood.

 

"I know, it's not your fault you just aren't used to being invited to things, dinners with others or friends... I get it. I'm just glad you are comfortable enough to hang out with me and Owen. It's good seeing you get to know my family and try forming um... you know... friendships? Relationship bonds. To make an effort at healthy socialization, as Ami-chan would say?" Usagi offered her thoughts.

 

"Yeah, something like that. I think things went really well tonight. I'm glad I'm learning to interact like this if it is with you and your family, Usagi. Makoto too... and even... Minako... though she can test me sometimes," Mamoru nodded, trying not to melt as Usagi gave him a quick friendly hug he returned shyly.

 

"Hai, glad Owen and I are having a positive effect on you, then. Once you hang out with me and the bunny clan of the Tsukinos we grow on you, don't we? Well, here's your backpack and your helmet. Drive safe, Mamo-chan... see you Sunday," Usagi smiled, handing over his things as Mamoru backed up his bike.

 

"Thanks, Odango, see you later." He smiled, securing the helmet before starting up the bike, engine roaring to life.

 

"Ride safely, goodnight Mamo-Baka!" Usagi called out with a wave, which he returned before he sped off down the street, disappearing into the night.

 

"Hopefully he gets home safely, but he'll make it back to his place fine as always. That man has more lives than a cat... Still... I can't deny he's cute and helpful, in his intelligent, semi-baka way," Usagi quietly mused to herself, before she turned and went back into her house.

 

 

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it. Chapter One is complete. What did every one of you who read it think? Did you like it? Love it? Adore it? Find it funny? Find it cute? Did you dislike it, or did you hate it?   
> If yay or nay, fill free to leave a comment or feedback in a review.  
> (Negative energized reviews, so-called 'constructive criticism negative' comments, rude reviews, or hateful comments will be ignored, and not removed off of the list of reviews, because I believe if you're that "rude" to leave a review that rude then you deserve to have your rudeness aired online for others to see how rude you are, so they know what a negative individual looks like, and how not to be a negative troll like that. So think before you type/review.)
> 
> Have any questions or thoughts? Then after reviewing, fill free to direct message me/private message me here on the site. I usually try to read and respond to get back to you ASAP.   
> Until the next chapter is posted after being written in the coming future, have a good on my fellow Moonies!

**Author's Note:**

> The Prologue Chapter is complete. So, what did everyone think? Quite the shock that some of you are probably experiencing, I bet some of you are wondering 'Wait! Usagi's child isn't Chibi-Usa! What's going on here?'  
> Or some of you are thinking, 'Where's Chibi-Usa?! Will she be in this story?!'  
> Yeah, I guarantee some of you that's what you are thinking by now after reading this. All will be revealed as this story continues on in future upcoming chapters to be posted as soon a possible. Did you like it? Love it? Enjoy it? Hate it? Have any questions you'd like to ask? Then please don't hesitate to review, send in any questions you may have via through reviewing this Prologue or drop me a direct message on my author's page, or at my Tumblr at @cassraven. 
> 
> I'll be answering any questions sent in privately through a direct message via through my Tumblr personally to said readers, responses in reviews/comments left, or publicly in the next author's notes at the beginning of Chapter One when it's posted. The next following chapters are currently being looked at by my Beta-Readers/being written w.i.p. wise. Until the next update to this story, fill free to leave kudos/likes or reviews/comments.


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